{"id":6816,"date":"2019-05-27T20:40:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-27T20:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=6816"},"modified":"2021-04-08T14:48:08","modified_gmt":"2021-04-08T14:48:08","slug":"14-common-causes-of-enuresis-in-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-common-causes-of-enuresis-in-children\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Common Causes of Enuresis in Children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Bedwetting (also called enuresis) is a commonly experienced symptom for both children and adults, and it happens to the majority of small children at some point. It\u2019s considered normal for the most part, but if it starts to occur suddenly or lasts for a long time, then it means that there\u2019s likely a deeper cause for it \u2013 and an appointment with a medical expert should be the next step in order to identify potential causes and find the right treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority of enuresis cases in children are easy to treat and will go away once the cause of it has been properly taken care of. Most cases are luckily not too serious, but they can still sometimes point to an underlying medical condition that requires treatment. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 8 common causes of enuresis in children that you should be aware of if you are a parent, medical professional or carer.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Irrational Fears and Phobias<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nightmares and night terrors are things that go together with bedwetting, and many children will wet their beds after watching a terrifying movie or being told a scary story \u2013 and parents should remember that they won\u2019t always realize when their children might have been exposed to something that traumatized them, especially not if they have access to their own technology or visited some of their friends. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many irrational fears and phobias that can trigger nightmares and subsequent bedwetting in children. Sometimes simple reassurance (or imagination) is enough to take care of the symptom and the enuresis \u2013 but always make sure that the trauma <\/a>the child is experiencing <\/span>is<\/span><\/i> indeed irrational.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are more serious cases where bedwetting happens due to serious trauma and is just expressed in the form of irrational fears instead. If it continues, a therapist\u2019s intervention might be necessary for you to find and treat the cause of the trauma or fear. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Recently Experienced Trauma<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many kinds of trauma children can experience that adults might not always be aware their children are going through. Outward symptoms of trauma often include symptoms <\/a>such as sudden changes in behavior, nightmares, and bedwetting \u2013 and parents and carers should take this as a sign that there could be something that needs to be addressed in the child\u2019s life. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently experienced trauma might be something like recently moving or switching schools, or it might go deeper and indicate abuse or trauma that wasn\u2019t dealt with properly at the time. In order to establish which is which, an appointment with an expert is the best way to help the child.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serious forms of trauma such as this should always be dealt with by experts and are not the kind of thing that can or should be treated at home. Enuresis will often be treated separately by the expert in question. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Recent Illness<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Recent illness can oftentimes be the cause of bedwetting in children, and this is considered something that generally goes away on its own if you can pinpoint when the illness took place and if the child is otherwise currently healthy. See your doctor if you can\u2019t point to any obvious signs of a recent illness as the cause.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can also point to the current illness, which can be the case if there are any other symptoms such as a fever present. Very small children might also have an increased rate of discomfort or crying that they can\u2019t express in words, and this will always mean a doctor\u2019s appointment and usually prescribed antibiotics <\/a>in order to treat it. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children who have been recently ill might also be more prone to get sick again, especially if they have a weaker immune system. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Medication Side-Effects<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Medication <\/a>side-effects are some of the most common causes for bedwetting, and you should take note of this if you can point to any kind of new medication that was started or stopped around the time which the bedwetting began. If this is the case, your first step should be to speak to the prescribing doctor to find out if the dosage needs to be adjusted or the medication changed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never adjust, change or stop taking any kind of medication without checking with your doctor first \u2013 and never put a child\u2019s health at risk. If it\u2019s due to medication side-effects, it can also mean that the liver and kidneys are taking the strain and the enuresis is just a manifestation of this. Should this be the case, then symptoms such as lower back pain, bladder pain and a change in urination frequency might also be present. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always see a doctor if medication is suspected to be the cause. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (also called EDS) is part of a range of connective tissue <\/a>disorders, and more is discovered about the condition every day. Genetics is a factor, and the symptoms of having EDS are vast, although they can include hypermobility, the presence of a spinal curve and other conditions such as arthritis and heart issues. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muscle weakness is another very common lifelong symptom that\u2019s associated with having EDS, and one of the ways in which it could manifest in some children is through bedwetting. If a child shows any of the other symptoms of EDS, it becomes vital to have them officially checked out for the condition (either through the signs or through simple gene testing).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s a rare condition, there are more people with EDS out there than one might think \u2013 and early diagnosis is key to long-term health in those who live with the condition to avoid later health issues.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Routine Disruption<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Traumatic events either imagined or real are just some of the things that can cause enuresis <\/a>in children that have already been discussed earlier on in this article \u2013 although these aren\u2019t the only kinds of trauma that are commonly known causes of enuresis. Sometimes it\u2019s as simple as recent routine disruption experienced by the child, and this usually goes away on its own as soon as they settle back into a normal routine.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if children have recently moved to another house or school, a few instances of bedwetting are considered usual. Children might also experience this if they are eating too late in the day, or often wake up to drink something. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing their routine around to something more comfortable is usually enough to take care of the bedwetting at the same time. If it isn\u2019t, then some of the other potential causes of bedwetting should be looked at to treat the root.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Childhood Scoliosis<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Childhood scoliosis <\/a>(also known as a curvature of the spine) can also be a cause of suddenly occurring and chronic instances of bedwetting. If this is the case, then it can manifest with a range of other symptoms such as a change in the gait, sudden complaints about pain in the feet, shoulders, neck or back and an obvious change in the spine. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, enuresis can be a side-effect of inflammation in the spine and pressure on the bladder \u2013 and while it\u2019s not too commonly experienced in children, it can be the case with some connective tissue disorders (which do include EDS) and cases where children are experiencing too much pressure on the spine.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some cases of childhood scoliosis can go away on their own, an appointment with a doctor and close monitoring is almost always necessary for the condition to be controlled and to prevent any further damage. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Diet<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve gone through the entire list and haven\u2019t found a potential cause that might be behind the bedwetting, then it could be that its part of the child\u2019s diet<\/a>. Sometimes eating too late in the day can be considered enough of a disruption in routine for the body itself that it struggles to digest the food, and this knocks the entire rhythm of the body out of balance \u2013 this can lead to symptoms like bedwetting or waking up in the middle of the night, and it can be treated with simply changing the basic routine.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other times components of the diet could be triggering the bedwetting \u2013 and this is often the case where some ingredients cause intolerances in the body, often the case with allergies or some artificial ingredients. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drinking fluids too late in the day or throughout the night can also be a potential trigger for enuresis requiring a simple routine change to treat. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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